Study Guide: Students & Educators SKELETON CREW Heather Baird Director of Education Tyler Easter Education Associate Fran Tarr Education Coordinator 1 SECTION I | THE PLAY Synopsis Characters Setting Themes SECTION II | CAST & CREATIVE SECTION III | YOUR STUDENTS AS AUDIENCE Theater Vocabulary Relating Themes to Our Own Lives: Anatomy of Detroit’s Decline Playwright Dominique Morisseau Can’t Forget the Motor City Webbing & Discussion Triggers SECTION IV | YOUR STUDENTS AS ACTORS Reading a Scene for Understanding Practical Aesthetics Exercise Mini-Lesson Vocabulary Scene Analysis Worksheet SECTION V | YOUR STUDENTS AS ARTISTS Post Theater Creative Response Activity Post Theater Creative Activity Challenge the Plot Common Core & DOE Theater Blueprint SECTION VI | THE ATLANTIC LEGACY 2 Section I: PLAY The Play PLAY Synopsis Characters Setting Themes 3 SYNOPSIS SETTING In Dominique Morisseau’s third play in her Detroit trilogy, a make- Detroit, Michigan. Stamping shift family of workers at the last exporting auto plant in the city Plant. Winter. Somewhere navigate the possibility of foreclosure. Power dynamics shift, and around year 2008. they are pushed to the limits of survival. When the line between blue collar and white collar gets blurred, how far over the lines are they willing to step? THEMES FAYE Power Black woman, mid-late 50’s, Working class woman. Tough and a lifetime Masculinity/Femininity of dirt beneath her nails. Somewhere, deep compassion. Race Social Justice DEZ “A Cog in a Machine” Black man, mid-late 20’s, Working class man. Young hustler, playful, street-savvy, and flirtatious. Somewhere, deeply sensitive. Worker’s Rights Sacrifice SHANITA Loyalty Black woman, mid-late 20’s, Working class young woman. Pretty but not Desperation ruled by it. Hard-working. By-the-books. Believes in the work she does. The Greater Good Also, pregnant. Somewhere, a beautiful dreamer. Pride/Ownership REGGIE Black man, late 30’s. White collar man. Studious. Dedicated. Compassionate. The Foreman. Somewhere, a fire brims. 4 Section II: Cast & Creative CAST Director And CAST Cast Bios 5 DOMINIQUE MORISSEAU RUBEN SANTIAGO-HUDSON JASON DIRDEN WENDELL B. FRANKLIN Playwright Director (Dez) (Reggie) DOMINIQUE MORISSEAU RUBEN SANTIAGO-HUDSON JASON DIRDEN (Dez). Broadway: WENDELL B. FRANKLIN (Reggie). (Playwright) is an alumna of the (Director) most recently staged A Raisin In The Sun, Fences. Off Broadway and Regional; Speak Public Theater Emerging Writer’s the Encores! revival of Cabin in the Off-Broadway and Regional: The Truth to Power (Culture Project); Group, Women’s Project Lab, and Sky at NY City Center. Other recent Piano Lesson, The First Breeze Brother from the Bottom, The Lark Playwrights Workshop. Credits productions include the world of Summer (Signature Theatre), Desire (Billie Holiday Theatre); include: Skeleton Crew (Sundance; premieres of Dominique Morisseau’s Stickfly (Huntington Theatre), Every Fences (People’s Light, Arkansas Lark Barebones); Paradise Blue Paradise Blue at The Williamstown Tongue Confess (Arena Stage), Rep); Ruined (La Jolla Playhouse, (Williamstown Theatre Festival); Theatre Festival and Your Blues Ain’t Seven Guitars, Topdog/Underdog Huntington Theatre, Berkeley Detroit ’67 (Public Theater, Classical Sweet Like Mine at The Two River (Two River Theater). Recent TV: Repertory); A Raisin in the Sun Theatre of Harlem/NBT); Blood at Theater Co. Other directing credits Elementary (CBS), Greenleaf (OWN). (Virginia Stage, Weston Playhouse); the Root (Penn State); Sunset Baby include The Piano Lesson (OBIE, Twitter/Instagram: @jasondirden. Gee’s Bend (Cleveland Playhouse). (Gate Theatre; LAByrinth Theatre); Lucille Lortel, Joseph A. Callaway, MFA: Penn State University. Follow Me to Nellie’s (O’Neill; Audelco), The Happiest Song Plays Premiere Stages). Her 3-play cycle, Last (Second Stage Theatre), My entitled “The Detroit Projects” Children! My Africa!, Seven Guitars include Detroit ’67, Paradise Blue and The First Breeze of Summer all and Skeleton Crew. Her play Blood at The Signature Theatre Company at the Root has toured internationally and Things of Dry Hours at NY and garnered her production The Theatre Workshop. His screenplay Graham F. Smith Peace Foundation adaptation of his autobiographical Award. Dominique has been play Lackawanna Blues garnered commissioned by Steppenwolf, numerous awards including The LCT3, Women’s Project, South Humanitas Prize, National Board Coast Rep, People’s Light & Theatre of Reviews, NAACP Image Award and Oregon Shakespeare Festival/ and The Christopher Award as Penumbra Theater. Awards: Jane well as Emmy, Golden Globe and Chambers Playwriting Award, WGA nominations. As an actor, Mr. two-time NAACP Image Award, Santiago-Hudson is the recipient of a Stavis Playwriting Award, Spirit of Tony Award®, OBIE Award, Clarence Detroit Award, Weissberger Award, Derwent and Helen Hayes Awards PoNY Fellowship, Sky-Cooper New among others. Ruben holds a BA American Play Prize, TEER Spirit from Binghamton University, an MFA Trailblazer Award, the Steinberg from Wayne State University and Playwright Award and the Edward M. Doctor of Humane Letters Honors Kennedy Prize for Drama. from Wayne State University and Buffalo State College. 6 LYNDA GRAVATT NIKIYA MATHIS ADESOLA OSAKALUMI (Faye) (Shanita) (Choreography/ Performer) LYNDA GRAVATT (Faye). Broadway: Off Broadway: Fidelis, The Brother Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, Doubt, Sister Plays; In the Red & Brown ADESOLA OSAKALUMI King Hedley II , 45 Seconds from Water; Marcus; or the Secret of (Choreographer/Performer) starred Broadway. Off Broadway: The Sweet, (Public Theater); Milk Like in the original Broadway cast, Hummingbird’s Tour (Theatre at St. Sugar (Playwrights Horizons); national and international tours of Clements), The Little Foxes (NYTW), Seed (Classical Theatre of Harlem). Fela! and Fela! The Concert and the Zooman and the Sign, King Hedley II Regional: The Blood Quilt (Arena Broadway revival of Equus (Nugget (Signature), Crowns (Second Stage), Stage); By The Way Meet Vera Stark U/S, ensemble). New York/Regional Miss Witherspoon (Playwrights (Alliance Theatre); The Mountaintop theater includes: In Your Arms (Old Horizons), Intimate Apparel (Milwaukee Repertory Theater); Globe Theatre), Ngwino Ubeho (Roundabout), The Old Settler, Intimate Apparel (Two River Theater); (Sundance Theatre Lab), Eyewitness Dividing the Estate (Primary Stages). Eclipsed (McCarter Theatre); Milk Blues (New York Theatre Workshop), Regional: Guess Who’s Coming to Like Sugar (La Jolla Playhouse); Jam on the Groove (Minetta Lane Dinner? (Arena Stage, Huntington), The Brother Sister Plays (McCarter Theatre, Drama Desk nominee). A Raisin in the Sun (Chautauqua, Theatre); The Continuum Company’s Film includes: Sex and the City 2, Westport Country Playhouse, Geva Romeo and Juliet (Florence, Italy). Crazy Beats Strong Every Time, The Theatre, Hartford Stage), Polk County Commercials: Diet Coke “Heart Accidental Husband, Across the (McCarter, Berkeley Rep), Crowns Health,” Kraft Macaroni and Cheese Universe, Enchanted and Idlewild. (Arena Stage), The Young Man from “Pregnant,” Nationwide Insurance As a choreographer for film: School Atlanta (Huntington, Alley), Humana “Atlanta Falcon’s House.” Television: of Rock, Marci X. Commercials and Festival 2016 (Actors Theatre of “Braindead” (recurring), “Elementary,” theater include: Broadway Bares, Louisville). Television: “Elementary,” “Person of Interest,” “Madam ESPN, Old Navy, PBS Kids, Halifax “Person of Interest,” “The Good Secretary,” “Crime.” Film: Compliance Bank, Advil. A New York native, NEA Wife,” “30 Rock,” all the “Law & (dir. Craig Zobel); Knucklehead (dir. Grant recipient and Bessie Award Order” series, “One Life to Live,” “As Ben Bowman). BA: Temple University, winner, Adesola was introduced to The World Turns,” “All My Children.” MFA: NYU Graduate Acting. the performing arts by his family and Film: The Delivery Man, Bounty believes the responsibility of an artist Hunter, I Hate Valentine’s Day, Who is to enlighten and inspire. Killed Atlanta’s Children?. Three adesola.com. Twitter: @AdesolaO Audelco Awards, Helen Hayes Award, Connecticut Critics Circle Award. Graduate of Howard University. Proud Member of Actors Equity. 7 East (Lincoln Center Theater), The Geffen Playhouse, Yale Rep); The Charity events with BC/EFA, Broadway MICHAEL CARNAHAN Day Emily Married (Primary Stages), Mountaintop (Playmakers Rep); I Saw Dreams Foundations, ASTEP, The (Scenic Designer) and Dinner with Friends (Variety Arts My Neighbor on the Train and I Didn’t Actors Fund. PSU Graduate. Proud AEA First National Tour: A Christmas Story- Center). His Off Broadway revivals Even Smile (Berkshire Theatre Group), member. The Musical; Off-Broadway: I and You include The Piano Lesson (Signature), as well as productions with Abrons (59E59); The Happiest Song Plays Last Talley's Folly & The Milk Train Doesn't Art Center, Premieres NYC, Ars Nova, CAPARELLIOTIS CASTING (Second Stage); The Piano Lesson Stop Here Anymore (Roundabout), Heartbeat Opera, Joe’s Pub, Nashville (casting) Current Broadway: (Signature Theatre); The First Breeze and Engaged (Obie Award, Theatre for Symphony, Hartford Symphony, I am a Blackbird and The Father. Recent and of Summer (Signature Theatre); Life a New Audience). His recent regional Boys Choir, SummerWorks Toronto and Select Broadway/Off-Broadway: An Could Be A Dream; The Marvelous credits include Alley Theatre, Arena La MaMa Summer Share. Nicholas was Act of God, Fish in the Dark, It’s Only a Wonderettes; Three